Shelf snap end display rack



Oct. 25, 1966 J. M. MELVIN ETAL 3,280,989

SHELF SNAP END DISPLAY RACK Filed April 19, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IFlE-ri HNVENTDRS JAMES M. MELVIN, CHARLES E. REIBISEINA W4.

ATT [IRNE Y 1966 J. M- MELVIN ETAL 3,280,

SHELF SNAP END DISPLAY RACK 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 19, 1965 w .w M Di and 3 J .l 5 a M f 5 2 3 2 I B 5 m E s 2 o w 2 A LM MM 03 JAMES CHARLES is. R

ATTEIRN EV Oct. 25, 1966 J. M. MELVIN ETAL 3,280,989

SHELF SNAP END DISPLAY RACK Filed April 19, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IEIG: 7

HNvENTURS JAMES M. MELVIN CHARLES E. RFIEISEIN JYMQ.W

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,280,989 SHELF SNAP END DISPLAY RACK James M. Melvin and Charles E. Robison, Elwood, Ind., assignors to Monticello Manufacturing Corporation, Elwood, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Filed Apr. 19, 1965, Ser. No. 448,932 11 Claims. (Cl. 211-133) This invention involves shelving formed of wires or rods having extending ends to removably fit within holes properly aligned along the opposing sides of tubular end supporting members in such manner that the end members will be interengaged and spaced apart at a predetermined distance whereby the shelves and two end members will be securely interconnected to permit the holding of goods upon the individual shelves for display without any danger of the shelves becoming disengaged from the end members under the load of such goods.

No tools of any kind are required in assembling the shelves with the end members. Variable spacing apart of the shelves vertically may be had by proper selection of holes in the end members receiving shelf supporting end wire portions.

There are no lefts or rights of shelves or end members, which fact simplifies manufacturing as well as the fitting up of the device. No bolts or screws or any such fastening means are required.

These and many other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description of one particular form as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a view in perspective from the front and end showing the assembled rack in one particular arrangement of shelving;

FIG. 2 is a view in top plan of an individual shelf;

FIG. 3 is a view in end elevation of the shelf;

FIG. 4 is a view in end end elevation of the shelf position in an initial angular relation between the two posts of an end support, showing fragmentary portions of those posts in partial section;

FIG. 5 is a bottom plan view on an enlarged scale of the fragmentary rear corner portion of the shelf associated with an end support post in transverse section and with the shelf in its normal horizontal position;

FIG. 6 is a detail in fragmentary and sectional side elevation on an enlarged scale showing the shelf back corner member support engaged with the corner posts of the end member; and

FIG. 7 is a detail in perspective from the rear of a corner of the shelf also on an enlarged scale.

Two end members, each generally designated by the numeral 10, in as much as both are identical in shape, dimensions, and all details, are formed to have two normally vertically disposed legs or posts 11 and 12. These posts 11 and 12 are interconnected by their top ends through the transversely extending tie member 13 which in the present form is an integral part of the posts 11 and 12. The top member 13 may be angularly disposed from the horizontal as indicated wherein the tie member slopes downwardly from the rear post to the front post.

The two posts 11 and 12 are rigidly interconnected by a lower most tie member 14 to have the legs 11 and 12 spaced apart in parallelism.

Two of such assemblies are required for each display rack. The opposing sides of both posts 11 and 12 are dimpled as at 15 at regularly spaced apart intervals, the dimple in one post at one elevation being at the same elevation of an opposite dimple in the other post. For the sake of clarity, these two end members will each be designated by the numeral 16 as an assembled unit.

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While a plurality of shelves are normally employed in the assembled rack, the description of one will be sufficient for the description of each of the other shelves since all the shelves are identical in construction and dimensions. A shelf generally designated by the numeral 17 has a plurality of fore and aft spaced apart wires 18, each of which wires 18 having an upturned normally vertically disposed length 19 at the front and upwardly disposed length 20 at the rear end of the shelf, these rear end portions 20 being preferably although not necessarily so higher at their terminal ends whereby a transverse extending wire 21 may be secured to each one of those wires 20 at their ends. In the present showing, there are eleven of these wires 18, the end wires 18a and 18b, FIG. 2, being spaced inwardly from the sides of transversely extending wires 22 and 23. These wires 18 are fixed in that relation by means of longitudinally extending wires 24 herein shown as five in number and spaced approximately equidistant one from the other over the wires 18, FIG. 2. Each of these wires 24 has its opposite end turned upwardly to a desired height, herein shown as to the height of the length 19. These upturned lengths of the wires 24 are designated by the numeral 25. A wire 26 interconnects the top end portions of each of the upturned lengths 25, FIGS. 3 and 4, at each end. The upper end portions of the wire lengths 19 are fixed to a top wire 27.

Each of the wires 22 and 23 extend rearwardly from the last wire 24 and terminate in a loop 30 forming a guide. Each loop 30 is completed by a forwardly directed leg 31 which terminates under the last wire 24 and is secured thereto. The securing of one wire to another, in the present showing, is by means of welding. This applies to the junctures of all wires.

The front end of each of the wires 22 and 23 turn upwardly by a length 32 equal to the length 19 and is secured to the front top wire 27.

A wire generally designated by the numeral 33 is fixed to the undersides of the wires 24 at the bends between those wires 24 and their end portions 25. The wire 33 extends forwardly by a length designated by the numeral 33a for a short distance beyond the upright portions 19 and 32. The rear end of the wire 33 in each instance turns upwardly by a length 33b to extend above the wire 21 to which it is secured. This wire 33b upright portion is flexible and has a leg 33c turning rearwardly approximately at a right angle to each of the portions 33b, FIGS. 3 and 4.

The two upright wire portions 33b are tied together by v a lower wire 34, which in turn is secured to the upright wire lengths 20. In order to maintain the two wire portions 33b in approximate vertical positions in reference to the wires 24, a brace wire 35 is employed to have its ends secured to the wires 33b immediately above the ends of the wire 34, and then the wire 35 is sloped upwardly from each of the wire connections with the wires 33b to a central Zone 36, this brace Wire 35 being secured to each of the wire portions 20. Thus, the wires 21, 34, and 35 together with the vertical wires 20 and 33b form a rather rigid truss.

Thus each shelf 17 takes on the nature of a wire basket having two lower forwardly extending tongues formed by the wire extensions 33a and two rearwardly extending legs 330 at a zone spaced well above that of the members 33a, and further having .the horizontally rearwardly disposed loops 30 as side contacts on the posts 12. These siX elements are so positioned and spaced that the shelf 17 may be brought by its end portions between the legs 11 and 12 of each of the end units 16 to have the rear portion elevated as indicated in FIG. 4 with the wire ends 330 entering dimples 15 one in each post 11 and directed toward holes 37 through the deepest portions of the dim ples 15 at the selected elevation along the post 11. Then the rear portion of the shelf 17 may be pushed downwardly causing the wire lengths 33b to ride down on the forward side of the post 12 until the leg portion 33c will come down and snap into a dimple 15 and finally enter through the hole 37. At the same time the loops 30 by their sides 38, in each instance FIG. 5, are sliding along the opposing sides of the posts 12, and remain in contact therewith after the shelf is brought down into the horizontally disposed position. The spacing apart of the leg 330 from the wire 33 is approximately equal to the vertical spacing apart of adjacent dimples in the posts 11 and 12.

It is to be seen that this operation brings the two wire end portions 33a through the holes 37 in the posts 11 and brings the legs 33c through the holes 37 in the posts 12. The post 11 of one end unit 16 and of the other unit 16 is thus held in a fixed spaced apart relationship, while the rear post 12, one of each of the end unit 16, is likewise rigidly spaced by the entrance of the members 33c through the holes 37 with the aid of the two loops 30 hearing against the opposing sides of the two posts 12.

The display rack may be completed by putting in an additional shelf 17 in exactly the same manner, spacing them to suit the goods to be displayed, FIG. 1 showing one possible arrangement where there are but four shelves and omitting any possible fifth shelf for taller goods that may be displayed on the upper and lower shelves, the number of shelves being entirely at the discretion of the user.

The assembly just described can be disassembled quite readily by initially pulling the upper end portions of the wire lengths 33b forwardly to pull out the legs 33c from their insertions through the holes 37 and lifting the rear end of the basket 17 until the wire ends 33a are entirely out of the holes 37 in the front posts 11. That is all there is to the disassembly. It is to be noted that the ends 16 are fixed in their manufacturing at the plant and nothing further has to be done to them either in the assembling or the disassembling of the shelves therewith. Thus, these end units 16 may be brought against one another and the shelvesmay be nested one on top of the other so that a very compact shipping unit may be had, as Well as for storage.

While we have herein shown and described our invention in the form as now best known to us, it is obvious that structural variations may be employed particularly in the bending of the various wires, the securing of one to the other in different stations, and the like all without departing from the spirit of the invention beyond the limits which may be imposed by the following claims. It is to be noted that the upwardly extending wire portion 33b extends through the bend 38, and this Wire 33 with its portions 33b and 330 is sufficiently elastic so as to maintain that bend 38 after slight distortion by bending the wire portion 33b forwardly as the rear end of the length 33c contacts the post 12 and rides downwardly, so that due to the elasticity of the wire this length will snap the leg 33c into the hole 37, and at the same time will permit the withdrawal of that length 33c and the return of the wire portion 33b to its originally formed, approximately vertically disposed position in each instance.

We claim:

' 1. A display rack comprising a pair of end members, each member having front and rear vertically spaced apart, approximately parallel posts tied one to the other in at least two zones;

'each of said posts having a plurality of spaced apart holes in front and rear opposing sides, a hole in one post being at the same post height as a hole in the.

V other post;

a plurality of wire trays, each having a fore and aft Width to be received by end portions between the posts of each of said end members in said pair;

a tongue extending forwardly from each front corner portion of a tray; and

a leg carried from each rear corner of the tray and directed rearwardly;

each of said tongues entering one of said holes in the front posts, and each of said legs entering a hole in the rear post.

2. The structure of claim 1, in which there is a guide member extending rearwardly from adjacent each of said tray rear corners; and

said guide member extending rearwardly across opposing sides of said rear posts in said end members.

3. The structure of claim 1, in which there is a spring-like member fixed to said tray and to extend upwardly from each of said rear corner portions and has said leg turned from an upper end portion thereof;

said spring-like member having a length presenting said leg at one of said post holes above the height of said front post hole receiving said tongue.

4. The structure of claim 3, in which there is a guide member fixedly extending from the rear side of said tray adjacent its rear corners, along the opposing sides of the two rear posts; and

said guide members effectively fix said tray against swinging on said legs.

5. The structure of claim 4, in which there are top and bottom bars between and connected to said posts in each of said end members; and

said trays are removably fitted by their ends between and snugly against the opposing sides of the posts in each of said end members.

6. A readily demountable display rack comprising a pair of end supports;

each of said end supports having front and rear spaced apart vertically disposed members;

each of said members having a series of holes in opposing ones of each of said supports, and further having a concave surface about each of said holes, said holes being located vertically at common heights of said members;

a tray having end portions removably entering between the members of each of said end supports;

a tongue extenting forwardly from and at each forward corner portion of said t-ray;

a leg carried from each rearward portion of said tray and extending rearwardly from each rearward corner of the tray;

' the total fore and aft length from the free tip of the tongue across the tray to the free tip of the leg exceeding the distance between said end support members; and

said tongues and legs being entered over said concave surfaces about selected holes in said members as means for supporting the tray.

7. The structure of claim 6, in which there is an elongated laterally flexible member fixed by a lower end to each of said tray rear end corners and extends approximately vertically therefrom and carries said leg thereon in each instance; and

said leg, upon positioning the tray end portions between said support members, rides by its end downwardly on the post and snaps into a concavity and thence into the hole therein.

8. The structure of claim 7 in which there is a guide member extending rearwardly from each of the rear side corner of said tray along opposing side of the said two aft members in sliding contact therewith.

9. A display rack comprising a pair of end support members; and

a plurality of wire basket trays removably carried between and by said supports;

each of said end supports comprising a pair of approximately vertical posts;

two spacing bars between and connected to each pair of posts maintaining them a fixed distance apart;

each post in each pair having a plurality of holes entering therein from sides of posts opposing each other in each said support;

said holes being located in a series of vertically spaced planes, one in each post in a common plane;

said posts each further being provided with a concave surface entering at each hole;

each of said trays comprising floor crossing wires turned upwardly around the tray margins;

one wire at each tray end extending forwardly thereacross by one end length, and by its opposite end length approximately vertically at the rear side of the tray to a height spaced thereabove;

the terminal end of the wire opposite length extending approximately horizontally from that length into a the spacing of the leg above said one wire end length being equal to the vertical spacing apart of said end member post holes; and

a guide wire fixed to said tray to extend rearwardly from the floor of the tray along the opposing sides of each of the aft posts of the supporting members.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,309,435 1/1943 Bitney 2ll--133 3,149,727 9/1964 Magers 21 1l48 3,172,376 3/1965 Havlis 10859 3,232,442 2/ 1966 Wilson 21l-133 20 CLAUDE A. LE ROY, Primary Examiner.

WILLIAM D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DISPLAY RACK COMPRISING A PAIR OF END MEMBERS, EACH MEMBER HAVING FRONT AND REAR VERTICALLY SPACED APART, APPROXIMATELY PARALLEL POSTS TIED ONE TO THE OTHER IN AT LEAST TWO ZONES; EACH OF SAID POSTS HAVING A PLURALITY OF SPACED APART HOLES IN FRONT AND REAR OPPOSING SIDES, A HOLE IN ONE POST BEING AT THE SAME POST HEIGHT AS A HOLE IN THE OTHER POST; A PLURALITY OF WIRE TRAYS, EACH HAVING A FORE AND AFT WIDTH TO BE RECEIVED BY END PORTIONS BETWEEN THE POSTS OF EACH OF SAID END MEMBERS IN SAID PAIR; A TONGE EXTENDING FORWARDLY FROM EACH FRONT CORNER PORTION OF A TRAY; AND A LEG CARRIED FROM EACH REAR CORNER OF THE TRAY AND DIRECTED REARWARDLY; AND EACH OF SAID TONGUES ENTERING ONE OF SAID HOLES IN THE FRONT POSTS, AND EACH OF SAID LEGS ENTERING A HOLE IN THE REAR POST. 